Book and typewriter support for use with book printing typewriter



Jan. 2, 1968 R. KAISER 3,361,243

BOOK AND TYPEWRITER SUPPORT FOR USE WITH BOOK PRINTING TYPEWRITER Filed Feb. 21, 1957 INVENTOR.

# 1. RA m A rra IRA/5y United States Patent 6 Claims. (a. 197-4 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An open book to be inscribed is securely held in place by a pair of feed rollers against an inclined supporting plate carrying a stepping typewriter, said plate having an aperture for passing the type printing bars. Both rollers are individually rotatively mounted upon the ends of supporting levers rotatable about a common stationary pivot axis and fitted with biasing springs, to resiliently urge the rollers each against the underside of one half of the book. A pair of manual uni-control knobs each rigid with the shaft of one of said rollers serve to effect feeding of the book in the direction at right angle to the stepping direction of the typewriter by rotation of both rollers about their axes, on the one hand, and to effect disengagement of the rollers from the book by rotation of the supporting levers about said common axis against the action of said springs, to cause the book to descend by gravity and to drop out from the bottom of the device, on the other hand.

The present invention relates to typewriter inscribing devices used for the making of typewritten entries in books, such as passports, identity cards, bank books and the like, though not limited thereto.

Handwritten entries in books of the foregoing and other types are no longer acceptable in many cases and according to modern office standards, wherefor the great demand of a simple and easily operable book typewriter inscribing device.

There are already known devices of this type for the inscribing by a typewriter of books, commonly referred to as book typewriters in the art. According to the conventional arrangements, the open book to be inscribed is positioned upon a horizontal support which also carries the inscribing machine or typewriter being displaceable in the horizontal direction along a guide rail or the like and in accordance with the type spacing intervals of said machine. The book is furthermore supported by at least two independent feed rollers, to compensate for the varying thickness of both book halves, said rollers extending in the printing line direction and each resiliently urging one of the book halves against a further support or com mon counter plate, to cause the uppermost pages of the open book to coincide with the type imprinting plane of the inscribing machine.

Aside from other disadvantages and drawbacks, arrangements or devices of the foregoing type have the disadvantage that the removal or withdrawal of the book, upon completion of an inscribing operation, is both difficult and cumbersome, especially after inscribing the upper parts or lines of either book half, in which case the book is practically completely covered by or positioned below the machine and can be removed or withdrawn with difliculty only.

Accordingly, an important object of the present invention is the provision of a book typewriter inscribing device of the referred to type which is substantially devoid of the foregoing :and related drawbacks and difiiculties inherent in the construction and operation of conventional book typewriter inscribing devices known according to the prior art.

A more specific object of the invention is the provision of a book typewriter inscribing device of the referred to type embodying uni-control operating means for the feeding and adjustment of a book to the proper inscribing position, on the one hand, and for the release and removal of the book upon the completion of an inscribing operation, on the other hand.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a book typewriter inscribing device of the referred to type designed to effect an automatic discharge of the book from the device by the operation of a simple control or release member upon termination of an inscribing operation.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of control mechanism in connection with a twin-feed roller supporting arrangement of a book typewriter inscribing device of the referred to type, whereby both said rollers may be adjusted by a first control operation of a common operating member for the feeding and adjustment of the book to the proper inscribing position, on the one hand, and said rollers may be further adjusted by a second control operation for the release and withdrawal of the book upon termination of an inscribing operation.

The invention, both as to the foregoing and ancillary 1 objects as well as novel aspects thereof, will be better understood by the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a book typewriter inscribing device constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the device according to FIG. 1, shown partly in section and with its rear wall removed, to reveal the interior mechanism of the device;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of FIG. 2; land FIG. 4 is a further sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

Like reference numerals denote like parts and elements in the different views of the drawing.

With the foregoing objects in view, the invention, according to one of its aspects, involves generally the provision of book typewriter inscribing device of the referred to type comprising essentially a supporting plate carrying a stepping typewriter upon one (upper) side thereof and having an aperture for passing the type printing bars for the impression of the pages of an open book resiliently urged against the underside of said plate by the action of a pair of feed or pressure rollers extending in the direction parallel to the type printing lines or stepping direction of the typewriter, respectively. More specifically, according to the present invention, the book supporting and feeding means further comprises a pair of separate supporting lever means each rotatively supporting one of said rollers and being pivoted for rotation about a common axis or spindle rigid in relation to the frame of the device.

Both feed and pressure rollers are furthermore fitted with individual adjusting knobs or the like operating members fast upon the respective roller shafts, whereby to enable both rotation of the rollers for the feeding and adjustment of the book in the device, on the one hand, as well as eifecting a swinging movement of the rollers away from their respective book halves, for the release and removal of the book, on the other hand. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the supporting plate has an inclined position, to result in an automatic discharge of the book, as a result of its own weight or by gravity, by a sliding movement along said plate, upon release of the rollers after the termination of an Patented. Jan. 2, 1968 inscribing operation, in a manner as will become further apparent from the following description in reference to the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 denotes a rectangular base plate to the opposite ends of which are secured a pair of side walls 2 being in the form of vertical rectangular triangles and connected at th ir upper ends by a cross bar 3, FIGS. 2 and 3. Secured to the hypotenuse or slanting edge of both side walls 2 is a first inclined supporting plate 4, FIGS. 2 and 3, provided near its upper edge with a rectangular aperture 7 for the reception of a pair of feed or supporting rollers 5 and 6 having axes parallel to the plane of said plate 4.

Rollers 5 and 6 are secured to a pair of separate shafts or axes 8 and 9, respectively, to enable the same to be adjusted or operated independently or separately of one another for the purpose to be described presently. The outer ends of both shafts 8, 9 are passed through the adjoining side walls 2 each of which is provided for this purpose with an oblong arcuate slot 10, the projecting ends of said shafts being fitted with suitable adjusting knobs or the like operating members 11.

Rotatively supporting, about the axes 8, 9, each of the feed rollers 5, 6 are two pairs of double-arm supporting levers 12 and 13, respectively, which are in turn freely rotatively mounted upon a common stationary pivot axis or spindle 14. In the example shown, the spindle 14 is supported by a U-shaped bracket 15, FIG. 2, which is secured to the underside of the plate 4.

More particularly, the rollers 5 and 6 are supported each between the ends of one pair of parallel lever arms 12, 13, while the remaining lever arm pairs, projecting into a recess 16 in the base plate 1, are bridged or connected through a pair of cross bars or the like connecting members 17 and 18, respectively. Secured to or held by the center of each of the connecting bars 17, 18 is the end of one of a pair of tension biasing springs 19 whose opposite ends are hooked around pins 20 upon the base plate 1 or otherwise arranged to engage the frame of the device. As a consequence, the rollers 5 and 6 are individually urged towards the plate 4 or caused to rotate in anti-clockwise direction by the springs 19, for the purpose as will become further apparent as the description proceeds.

While double-arm lever pairs 12, 13 are shown in the drawing with one set of lever arm pairs supporting the feed rollers 5, 6 and the other set of lever arm pairs utilized for the biasing of the rollers by the springs 19, it is understood that any equivalent supporting lever and biasing mechanism may be employed for the purpose of the present invention. Thus, for instance, spring-biased single-arm supporting levers may be employed, to urge the rollers in an anticlockwise direction or towards the aperture 7 of plate 4.

Secured to the opposite lateral edges of the plate 4 are a pair of spacing strips or bars 21 upon which is in turn mounted a further supporting or counter plate 22 being parallel to the plate 4 and forming together with the latter a feeding channel 23 adapted to receive an open book 30 to be inscribed. Further secured to a reinforcing bar 24 fast upon the counter plate 22 is a rack 25 adapted to cooperate in a known manner with a stepping machine or typewriter 26 displaced intermittently and in the horizontal direction and along the rack 25 by one letter or type spacing interval each time after formation of a type impression upon depressing one of the typewriter keys 29.

Stepping typewriters of the foregoing type for the inscribing of books, drawings, or the like are well known and described, for instance, in U.S. Patent No. 3,204,744, issued Sept. 7, 1955, and assigned to the same assignee as the instant application. This prior patent is, therefore, embodied in the instant application by reference for further details as to the construction and operation of a suitable stepping mechanism of the book typewriter 26 forming part of the inscribing device according to the present invention.

In order to enable the type imprinting bars of the typewriter 26 to freely pass through the counter plate 22 and to effect an impression upon either or both halves Sea and 3% the book 3% being inscribed, plate 22 is provided with a suitable preferably rectangular aperture 27 extending over the type printing range or the full length of a printing line of the typewriter 26.

Furthermore, in order to facilitate removal of the book 36 held by the rollers within the channel 23, or between the plates 4 and 22, the latter is advantageously formed at its lower edge with a further recess 22, FIG. 1.

The following is a description of the use and operation of the inscribing device shown by the drawing and described in the foregoing.

The open book 3 3 to be inscribed is inserted from above into the feeding channel 23 formed by the plates 4 and 22 and held in the desired inscribing position by the rollers 5, 6 each frictionally resiliently engaging, by the action of the springs 19, the rear of one of the book halves 30b and 30a, respectively, in such a manner as to urge both said book halves against or to a position flush with the rear surface of the counter plate 22, irrespective of their relative thickness, as more clearly shown by FIG. 4. Inasmuch as both rollers 5, 6 may be operated or adjusted independently in the manner described, it is possible, by rotation of both knobs 11, to adjust the book vertically or at right angle to the printing line or stepping direction of the typewriter 26, in a manner readily understood. As a consequence, any part of the book page or pages, or halves 30a and 30b, may be inscribed, to suit existing conditions or requirements.

More particularly, upon depressing one of the typewriter keys 29, the corresponding type bar (not shown) being deflected in a known manner, passes through the aperture 27 in the counter plate 22 and effects a corresponding type impression upon the pages of the book 30. After impression of each type, the typewriter 26 is shifted or displaced horizontally by one type spacing interval corresponding to the pitch of the rack 25 by the action of the automatic stepping mechanism which may be of the kind described by U.S. Patent 3,204,744 referred to hereinbefore.

If it is desired, after the completion of an inscribing operation, to remove the book 36 from the device, both operating knobs 11 are temporarily rotated or deflected, about their common axis 14, in clockwise direction against the action of the springs 19, whereby to cause the rollers 5 and 6 to be disengaged from the adjoining book halves 30b and 30a and to be retracted to a position behind the plate 4. As a consequence, the book 30 in the channel 23 being released from the rollers is caused to slide downwardly upon the plate 4 by the action of its own weight or gravity for ready discharge or removal from the inscribing device.

In the foregoing the invention has been described in reference to a specific exemplary device or embodiment. It will be evident, however, that variations and modifications, as well as the substitution of equivalent parts or elements for those shown herein for illustration, may be made without departing from the broader scope and spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. The specification and drawing are accordingly to be regarded in an illustrative rather than in a restrictive sense.

I claim:

1. A book typewriter inscribing device comprising in combination:

(1) a frame supporting plate,

(2) a stepping typewriter disposed upon one side of said plate,

(3) said plate having an aperture for passing the type printing bars of said typewriter, and

(4) means to adjustably support an open book with the front side thereof to be inscribed engaging the claim 3, each of said lever means being comprised of a pair of spaced and parallel double-arm levers rotatively supporting one of said rollers between one pair of extreme ends thereof and having the opposite pairs of ends bridged by connecting members parallel to said rollers, and said resilient means being constituted by a pair of tension springs having their ends connected each between one of said correcting members and said frame.

claim 4, said levers being pivoted about a common spindle opposite side of said plate, said means being comprised of (a) a pair of feed rollers extending in the stepping direction of said typewriter, each of said rollers having a supporting shaft and engaging the rear of one of the book halves in the in serted position,

(b) a pair of supporting lever means rotatably mounted about a common pivot axis upon said frame and each rotatively supporting one of said rollers,

(c) resilient means interposed between each of said lever means and said frame, to urge said rollers against the adjoining book halves, and

(d) a pair of manual operating members each connected to one of said rollers shafts, to enable both rotation of said rollers about their supporting axis, on the one hand, and swinging movement about said pivot axis against the action of said resilient means, on the other hand.

2. A book typewriter inscribing device as claimed in claim 1, said supporting plate having an inclined position, whereby to cause the book to descend by gravity action and to drop out fromthe bottom of the device upon disengagement from said rollers.

3. A book typewriter inscribing device as claimed in claim 1, said supporting plate forming the front of said device and having an inclined position, a pair of triangular vertical and walls supporting said plate and having arcuate slots with said roller shafts each passing outwardly through one of said slots, and said operating member constituted by control knobs connected to the projecting end of one of said shafts.

4. A book typewriter inscribing device as claimed in 5. A book typewriter inscribing device as claimed in parallel to the axis of said rollers and secured to said frame.

6. A book typewriter inscribing device comprising in combination:

(1) a supporting plate, (2) a stepping typewriter mounted upon one side of said plate, (3) said plate having an aperture for passing the type printing bars of said typewriter, and (4) means to adjustably support an open book with the side thereof to be inscribed engaging the opposite side of said plate, said means being comprised of (a) a pair of feed rollers each having a support ing shaft and extending in the stepping direction of said typewriter, to engage the rear of one of the book halves in the inserted position of the book,

(b) a pair of supporting lever means each having at least one lever arm rotatable about a fixed pivot axis parallel to the axes of said rollers, each of said lever arms rotatively supporting one of said rollers,

(c) resilient means operably connected to each of said lever arms to urge said rollers against the adjoining book half, and

(d) a pair of control members for said rollers for rotating each roller about its rotation axis for the feeding of the book through said device and for swinging each roller about said pivot and away from the book against the action of said resilient means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 477,521 6/1892 Dean 1972 569,625 10/1896 Fisher 197---2 1,627,016 5/1927 Dean 197--2 2,128,920 9/ 1938 Draeger 248446 2,834,149 5/1958 Flahive et a1. 248-445 3,204,744 9/1965 Butter 197--2 ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner. EDGAR S. BURR, Examiner. 

